Improvement in grain-cleaning machines



2 Sheets sheet 1.

G. E. TH R00 P.

Grai n Cleaning Machines.

No. 135,675. Patented Feb.l1,1873.

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2 Sheets--Siheet 2. G. E. THROOP.

Grain Cleaning Machines No. 135,675, Patented Fe b.11,1 873.

AM, PHDFUUTHOSRAPH/C ca M Mama/m1; Pnosss) UNITED STATES,

A N J QIELQ GARDNER E. THROOP, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRAIN-CLEANING MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 135,675, dated February 11, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GARDNER E. Tnnoor, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Machinery for Cleaning Wheat, &c., of which the following is a specification:

My present improvements relate to cylincase should be within certain limits to produce the best effect upon the grain but the fiber of which the brushes are made is constantly wearing away, and this eventually makes the brush worthless, and the renewing it is very expensive. 7

To remedy this defect I have devised a method of contracting the outer case as the brush wears away, so as to maintain the proper space between them until the fibers of the brush are worn out.

A second part of my invention consists in causing a strong current of air to pass up through the openings n n by separating the cleaning-chamber from the chamber containing the fan f placed below the cleaningcylinder on the same shaft, so as to force the entire upward current of air through said openings and prevent the clogging that would otherwise take place if the air has another outlet, when the space aforesaid becomes choked, as it is liable to be in the machines where the auxiliary fan-chamber and cleaningchamber are open to each other.

To remedy these defects I construct the apparatus as follows, referring to the accompanying drawing, in which- A, Figure 1, is the lower head of the case, around the inner periphery of which, that the perforated case fits, there is a series of metal bands or. rings, b, put-say four, more or less, in number-thus enlarging the diameter of the head to that extent. Similar rings are also affixed to the upper head. When the ma chine is first set up the perforated case is put on over the outer ring I). The parts of this case a (see Fig. 2) lap over eachother, and

are held together by adjusting clamps, which may be constructed in any convenient way.

have found a thin metal strip, 0, affixed to the case on one side of the lap-joint, and wound around a small cylinder, at, on the other side, with a ratchet and pawl to hold it, efficient and convenient for adjustment. I

When the brush that runs inside the perforated case is worn back, I remove one of the rings 12 and draw in the case close around the next ring, and after again wearing down' the surface of the brush a second ring is removed, and so on until the brush is worn out, thus, by a simple and cheap arrangeme11t,,saving the considerable expense of a new brush.

In Fig. 1, representing the lower head of the cylinder-case, there are openings an, shown all around between the two cases. This head A covers a fan-chamber, C, Fig. 3, in which a fan-wheel, f, revolves, having inclined fans so con struoted and formed as to cause a strong upward current of air through the holes a n and annular passage 7a. The plan of this fan is seen in Fig. 4.. The current of air from this fan raises the extraneous matter between the cases into the influence of the upward current caused by the action of the exhaust-fan above, aiding said fan in carrying it 01f. This auxiliaryi'an prevents the eddying down of the dust, &c., and filling the space below, and throws out all the extraneous matter at the top of the case.

Heretofore fans have been used below, but not with an upward blast or auxiliary to an exhaust-fan above and there have been openings in the case below without a fan to discharge the smut, &c.; but this would disturb the draft from the interior and litter up the space around the machine and incommode the operator.

The section Fig. 5 shows a section in a vertical plane through the axis of the machine, with the several parts shown in the previous figures in place.

It will be noticed that the lower fan-chamber is separated from that in which the brush revolves by the head A, and that the entire blast from the auxiliary fan is driven up through the openings n n, which is the distinguishing feature of my invention, combined with the feathered or inclined blades f of the auxiliary fan, constructedsubstantially as shown in the drawing, by which the blast'is more directly forced upward through said openings n n, through which the entire blast from the auxiliary fan passes, by which a more perfect action and greater economy of power for the effect produced are obtained. The grain, instead of passing down through the fan-chamber G, passes off through a spout on one side independent of the fan-chamber.

I have not represented or described any of the parts of the well-known smut-machine or brush-machine, as they are largely in public use, and may be found in patents heretofore granted to me December 22, 1863, and April 2, 1867, to which reference can be had.

W'hat I claim is-- 1. In combination with the cleaning apparatus, the adjustable case described. consist. ing of the heads A, case a, and rings 1), together with the clamping devices 0 d or their equivalent, all constructed and for operation 

